A transfer star-wheel can transfer containers along a circular path from a first container treatment device to a second container treatment device. When seen in plan view, a handover point and a takeover point are preferably disposed opposite one another at the transfer star-wheel.
Instead of the transfer star-wheel, however, a linear conveyor or chain conveyor can be provided. Such a conveyor can have circular deflection devices between individual branches, it being possible to transfer the containers from the first to the second container treatment device.
The handover and takeover happens in an advantageous manner at or near the respective deflection devices. The container treatment devices can have a star-wheel design, with the first container treatment device, for example, being a filler star-wheel, or filler, and the second container treatment device being a sealer star-wheel, or sealer. The transfer star-wheel transports, for example, containers filled with product from the filler star-wheel to the sealer star-wheel.
Container treatment devices are usually larger in diameter than the transfer star-wheel or than the deflection devices of the linear conveyor. As a result, the speed of the devices at both the handover point and takeover point is preferably selected so that equal peripheral speeds prevail. What the exemplary embodiments have in common therefore is that, at the handover and takeover point, there should be a matching speed, i.e. an equal or approximately equal peripheral speed, so that a handover to the sealer star-wheel or a takeover from the filler star-wheel can take place smoothly and without any complications.
Nevertheless the handover and/or takeover does not take place smoothly because the centrifugal acceleration abruptly changes the effective direction and increases still further upon the change from large to small star-wheel diameter. As a result of this, the material or product with which the container has been filled, for example a liquid, can spill from the container. The resulting loss of product from spillage fouls the installation, which leads to an additional cleaning requirement. In addition, loss from spillage also results in containers that are insufficiently filled. As a result, the container and the filled product would be separated out in a subsequent inspection.
The containers also undergo a considerable centripetal acceleration, which adversely affects the product level of the filled product. For example, as a result of this acceleration, the liquid level assumes an oblique attitude. This can again result in spillage, with the result that containers are not completely filled.